Wizards vs Darkness
by writerchic16
Summary: Wizards vs. Everything AU. Alex, Justin and Max must save the day when Gorog causes their own parents to turn against them.
1. Prologue

**Wizards vs. Darkness**

Summary: Wizards vs. Everything AU. Alex, Justin and Max must save the day when Gorog causes their own parents to turn against them.

A/N: I actually didn't hate Wizards vs. Everything. It was a very good season four episode, and the way they destroyed Gorog was awesome. I just always hate when Jerry and Theresa are left out of major events. Also, I want to flesh out the story so it seems more like a huge battle. What they did was nice, but most of the important action was squished into the last half hour.

Note, the chapters will be shorter than my usual, and there will probably be around five or six in addition to this prologue.

* * *

><p><em>Prologue<em>

The customer was either a tourist, or new in town. He actually ordered a sandwich.

"I'll have a pastrami on rye."

Since Jerry's thoughts were preoccupied with other chores he had to do that day, he quickly wrote down the order, barely paying attention. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, a room."

That made Jerry stare, eyebrow raised, attempting to figure the stranger out. "Excuse me?" The brown-eyed, brown-haired man seemed normal, even nondescript. Jerry wasn't sure he would have remembered the average face if not for the strange question.

"I just got here, looking to start over in the big city," he explained. "You know anywhere I could rent a room?" At Jerry's hesitation, he pulled out a money clip, bulging with twenties. "I can pay in cash."

Jerry felt his jaw drop, already wondering how he could get some of that cash. Then he remembered his daughter's empty bedroom. "Uh, well, my daughter just moved out a month ago. You could take hers." Quickly thinking of a price, he sputtered, "Nine hundred dollars per month? We'll need first and last month's rent up front."

The customer grinned. "Perfect. I'll need to see the room, of course. Though I won't be staying long, so whatever you have will be fine."

Snapping out of his money-induced trance, Jerry realized that he couldn't let a stranger off the street live in his home. At least not until they made proper introductions. "Oh, right. Well, um, I'm Jerry Russo. And you are..."

"Seth Calhoun. Nice to meet you, Mr. Russo."

* * *

><p>Minutes later, Jerry temporarily close the shop since no one else was there anyway, and brought Seth up to the loft to meet Theresa. "Uh, honey?"<p>

"Oh, who's this?" Theresa asked, crossing the loft to greet her guest. "Hi, I'm Theresa."

Seth shook her hand, offering a warm smile. "Seth Calhoun. Your husband and I just met downstairs. You have a lovely home, Mrs. Russo."

Blushing at the compliment, she replied, "Oh, call me Theresa. Have a seat, please." She and Jerry went over by the dining area to talk while their guest sat on the couch. "What's going on?"

"He wants to rent a room." At Theresa's angry expression, he launched into an argument for his defense. "Think about it! Alex's old room is sitting there empty when it could be getting us a few hundred bucks every month! We should have thought of this sooner!"

Theresa reluctantly considered the idea. "I don't know, Jerry. Having a stranger live with us..." She lowered her voice. "What about magic?"

"What about it? Alex causes most of the mayhem, and she's not here," Jerry reminded her.

"But still..."

"Look, Seth can pay two months' rent, _in__cash_," Jerry argued. "And he won't be here long. Weren't you saying how empty the house has been with Max at camp, Alex moved out, and Justin spending all his time in the lair?"

Theresa sighed. "Fine. We'll at least show Seth the room. He might not even want it with the condition it's in right now."

* * *

><p>Both Jerry and Theresa led Seth upstairs. "Here you go, first door on the right," Jerry said, opening the door into Alex's bare room. His daughter took her bed with her, along with almost everything else. "Uh, just give us a few days to get it fixed up."<p>

"It's pink," Seth remarked, noticing the fur wallpaper.

"That you'll have to take care of yourself," Jerry replied. By _fixed__up_ he'd meant using Craigslist to find a bed someone was throwing away, and making his daughter clear out the rest of her junk. No way was he paying for wallpaper removal.

Seth nodded. "In that case, it's bearable. The size is good."

"And we're in a great location," Theresa said, attempting to sell the place. "The subway is right around the corner. You're only a few stops away from Times Square."

"Oh, I doubt I'll be exploring much. This is just a temporary residence for me," Seth explained. "While I'm here I'll be calling up contacts, trying to find work. I might even be out within the month."

Jerry scoffed. "In this economy? Good luck with that." At his wife's glare, he covered, "Uh, I'm sure you won't be here long, then. So, do you want the room?"

"Yes, I'll take it," Seth answered. "I'm staying with a friend right now. How soon can I move in?"

"How about next week?" Jerry offered, then he and Seth shook hands on the agreement. While this new tenant would probably cause some inconveniences, Jerry didn't mind. Surely the new income would more than make up for them.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

"Have you talked to Mom and Dad lately?"

Despite his constant studying for the wizard competition, Justin made the effort to stop by his sister's new apartment. For some reason, he hadn't been able to relax since Seth moved in a few weeks ago. Sure, Justin stayed in the lair a lot, but he still had dinner and occasionally watched television in the loft. And the new household member never failed to creep him out when they happened to cross paths.

On top of that, the Russo parents seemed different when Seth was in the room. Justin couldn't describe the phenomenon if he tried. That's why he made the trip, to see if Alex had picked up on this as well.

Distracted by the cold cut sandwich she was making for lunch, Alex shrugged. "Not really. You know I haven't been home."

"Have you talked to them on the phone?"

"Not really," Alex repeated. "I've been busy. Mason and I are a couple again, remember?"

From across the room, Harper called, "_I've_ talked to them." She walked over to the couch, a meaningful glare directed at her best friend. "They would like to hear from _you_ too." When Alex shrugged, Harper turned to Justin. "Why did you ask?"

"Do they seem...weird to you?" Justin asked. "Especially if they mention Seth."

Harper shrugged. "They like him, if that's what you mean. Specifically your dad likes his rent money."

"Weird how?" Alex asked, growing concerned.

"They don't act like themselves around him. They're...meaner, I guess. Not to him, but their comments in general," Justin explained.

Contemplating what this could mean, Alex asked, "You think he's magically influencing them? Like Rosie, when she was an angel of darkness?"

"No...maybe..." Justin trailed off at that. _Was_ Seth magical? He hadn't really thought of the possibility yet. It would make sense, after that robot stole a spell from the lair. The two could easily be connected. "Should I confront him?"

Harper frowned. "But what if he's innocent, and this is all a coincidence? Then you'll expose magic."

"That's true," Justin agreed. "I'll just have to keep an eye on him."

* * *

><p>The teenager made Seth nervous.<p>

For over a week, Seth had been pestered by Justin's questions, all about his past and what he was doing there. The parents claimed their eldest son was attending a local college, which explained his daily extended absences. Whatever, Seth didn't care, as long as the teen didn't interfere with his plans.

But all of a sudden, Justin got suspicious, never leaving his parents alone with Seth for long. And that was dangerous.

_He__ knows_, Gorog thought, having a pleasant conversation with the wizard, pretending he had no idea of the ulterior motives. _He__ knows__ "__Seth's__" __true __identity.__Or __at __least __he __doesn't __believe __that __Seth__ is __harmless, __like __his __parents __do.__I __need __to __make __my __move __soon._

Gorog also worried about the thirteenth floor he'd created. Cramming so many wizards and other creatures in there was definitely a risk, when most had ties to the Wizard World. The Council, particularly Professor Crumbs, would learn of its existence somehow. There was a limited amount of time left to carry out his scheme.

"So how's college?" _Seth_ asked, doing his best to seem like he cared. "Are you doing well this semester?" He then chuckled. "What am I saying? Of course you are. Your parents mentioned that you've always been an excellent student."

"Yeah, it's going well." There was a long, awkward silence. Then finally Justin stood up from the club chair. "In fact, uh, I have to meet my friend Zeke at the library." He glanced at his parents. "I'll be home for dinner tonight."

"Okay, bye sweetie, see you later," Theresa replied. She was folding some laundry on the dining room table, giving her tenant some space in the living area. When her son left, she gave Seth an apologetic glance. "I'm sorry about all the questions. We really don't know much about you, so I'm sure he's just being protective."

_Rightfully__ so_, Gorog thought, smirking. _But__ he's __too __late._

Jerry entered from downstairs, looking tired from a full day of running the restaurant. "Theresa, can you take over for a while so I can get a late lunch? There aren't any customers right now."

"Sure, I'm almost done with this laundry."

Watching the exchange, Gorog realized this would be the perfect time to _really_ introduce himself. The couple's judgment of good and evil should be damaged enough from being around him so much in the past month. While they would be shocked at first, they'd comply with his demands if presented correctly. "Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Russo? May I have a word with you?"

The Russo parents looked up...then stared in horror at the large, black wings that had appeared on their new tenant's back.

* * *

><p>When Justin and Zeke left the library, they decided to part ways. Justin wanted to stop by the girls' apartment again and report what he'd learn in the few days since his last visit. But Zeke had to go home and do the school work that had been steadily piling up since the semester began. "You're lucky you got to put off college for a year, man," he whined. "It's <em>tough<em>."

"Hey, preparing for the wizard competition isn't any fun either," Justin reminded him. They reached the stop where Zeke would take the subway to his house, and Justin took out his wand.

Zeke squirmed, still a little unnerved by magic. "What's that for?"

"How I'm getting to the girls' apartment. You want me to send you home?" Justin offered, half-teasing.

"No!" Zeke exclaimed, then added, "N-no thanks. Tell Harper I'll call her later."

Justin nodded, and Zeke went down the stairs into the subway station. For a brief moment, Just wondered about Zeke and Harper's relationship. They just didn't seem to be in love when they'd been happy together for a long while. Shaking his head, Justin reasoned that some people just don't show their passion. His friends were allowed to handle their relationship however they chose.

Seconds later, he appeared in his sister's living room...to find the girls riveted to a magical screen that showed what was happening on the door's other side. The "Spying Eyes" spell. "What's going on?"

"Oh, gosh!" his sister exclaimed, startled by his sudden entrance.

Nervous Harper whispered, "Alex! He might hear us!"

"He? Will one of you..."

They indicated that he take a seat on the couch and joined him, keeping an eye on the door. "Gorog's back," Alex whispered. "He was Dexter the whole time."

"_Gorog_?" Justin exclaimed, momentarily forgetting to lower his voice. The girls immediately shushed him. "I don't understand, Alex..."

"Weakened him. Now he wants revenge," Alex interrupted, a trace of fear in her words.

Justin seemed overwhelmed, so Harper went into a detailed explanation. "Professor Crumbs arrived with Felix and told everyone this floor shouldn't exist, that it was a set up! Alex and I went back into our apartment to pack. Good thing we did! Dexter arrived and turned into Gorog so he he could recruit all the apartment renters for his new force of darkness!"

While her brother gasped at the news, Alex continued, "Yeah, he mentioned me, but so far he's been distracted luring everyone to the dark side."

"Okay, okay..." Justin glanced out at the hallway to see what was happening. Felix had herded everyone into the elevator, but Mason resisted and was uselessly attempting to wolf up. "Well, I don't think we'll accomplish anything by trying to save them now. Let's get to the lair and think of what to do."

"But Mason..." Alex protested, looking looking she might run for the door.

Her brother put a steadying hand on her shoulder. "We'll save him. Don't worry."

Though not happy about it, Alex flashed out when Justin did, taking Harper with her.

* * *

><p>Alone in the loft, Theresa and Jerry sat on the couch with their arms around each other, fearfully thinking about what Gorog had told them.<p>

_Join me. Or I will destroy your children. If you become my servants, I will spare their lives when I take over the Wizard World. And yours._

"There has to be a way to stop him," Theresa said, tears in her eyes. "Someone who can help us."

Jerry sadly shook his head. "I'm sorry, Theresa. I tried to call Professor Crumbs but I can't reach him." Briefly he remembered they could escape through the portal and contact the Council, but their children would be left behind. "We'll have to do what Gorog says."

As if he'd been listening, Gorog appeared before them, a cheerful smile on his face. "Smart move you two. Now come on, the dark side is waiting."

* * *

><p>AN: I purposely skimmed over "Dexter" revealing that he is Gorog, and the thirteenth floor residents turning evil. The episode pretty much covers it.


	3. Chapter Two

A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone! **  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

All she cared about was her boyfriend.

_How __could __I __just __let __him __go?_ Alex thought, disgusted with herself. _I__ should __have __at __least __tried__ to __save __him. __He__ probably __knew __I __was __in __my __apartment. __He __must__ think __I __don't __love__ him__ enough __to __put__ myself __in __danger __for __him._"We have to go back!" she exclaimed, pacing around the lair while her brother and Harper frantically looked in books for a way to defeat Gorog. "I need to save Mason!"

"We _will_. But to do that, we need to defeat Gorog first. And fighting him without a solid plan of action would just be stupid," Justin argued, annoyed with his sister's lack of focus.

"But he must hate me! I didn't..."

Seeing that her best friend was in breakdown mode, Harper put her arm around Alex's shoulders. "He loves you, Alex. And he'd probably feel really guilty if you tried to save him, but got yourself hurt. We did the right thing."

"Doesn't feel like it," Alex muttered.

While they continued to do research, Jerry walked in, looking concerned. "Are you all okay? Is something going on?"

"Dad! Gorog's back!" Justin exclaimed, relieved they might have some assistance. "Do you know a spell that can beat him?"

Shocked at the news, Jerry was quiet for a long moment. Then he looked at the portal. "Well, there is one that will at least be able to call for help. But we need Max." At their curious glances, he explained, "Three wizard siblings are able to conjure an enormous amount of power. I never told you because...well, honestly, I didn't think you were responsible enough."

"Good thinking," Alex agreed.

Slightly insulted, Justin was about to protest, but just shook his head and called Max on the Abracadoodler. The youngest Russo sibling instantly appeared on the screen, standing in front of a cliff, wearing climbing gear. "Make this quick, guys!" he said. "It's almost my turn on the rock wall!"

"You have to come home," Justin explained urgently. "We need you to help us stop Gorog."

Realizing there was an emergency situation, Max didn't argue, just stepped through the Abracadoodler into the lair. "What's the spell?" he asked, taking off the gear.

"Dad's about to tell us." Justin then glanced at Harper. "Why don't you stay over Zeke's until this mess is over? You'll be safer there. Especially if Gorog has plans to get revenge on Alex while he breaks into the Wizard World." At his sister's frightened expression, he added, "Sorry."

"Um, yeah. I guess I won't be able to help anyway," Harper replied. She hugged her best friend, wished everyone the best of luck, and left.

Standing off to the side in front of the desk, Jerry began giving directions for the spell. "All right, Alex and Max, you stand right here. Justin, you go a few feet away over there." When they were in their places, wands ready, he said, "Now repeat after me..._We__ call __on __our __magic __in __this __hour_..."

The siblings repeated, _"__We __call __on__ our __magic __in __this __hour...__"_

"_So all may enter with their power."_

"_So all may enter with their power."_

Each of their wands emitted a blast of golden light, which formed into a ball and shot towards the portal, covering the entryway. The light slowly faded away as the door swung open. The wizards slowly lowered their wands, amazed at what they'd accomplished.

Confused, Justin stared at his father. "Uh, Dad? How can a spell that probably tampered with Wizard Council security, also call for help? I've never heard of this before."

"That's because I made it up."

Jerry never said a word. Someone behind them did.

The siblings whirled around to find Seth...with black wings, holding the Inter-Wizard People Porter control box in his hands. He waved to Alex and Max. "Don't need you two anymore. Good-bye." He pressed a button on the panel, the transportation chute lowered from the ceiling...and the scared younger Russos were whisked away into oblivion.

* * *

><p>When Alex and Max's surroundings became clear again, they were all alone. No matter where they looked in any direction, they could only see gray sky that was almost purple, and a rolling fog that covered the ground. A light mist made the two shiver, rubbing their arms with their free hands to keep warm since they still held their wands.<p>

"Well, that was unexpected," Alex muttered.

Max nodded. "Yeah, I forgot we still had the IPP." He then laughed. "Never gets old."

"No, I meant that 'Seth' is really Gorog..." Alex paused. "Or just another angel of darkness. You know, after the whole Dexter thing it's kind of hard to tell." Thinking about that some more, she added, "But would Gorog really be _two_ people at once? Seems a little excessive..."

"Alex! What about Justin?" Max reminded her.

Glancing at the expanse of nothing around her, Alex shrugged. "I guess Gorog didn't bother sending Justin with us. Or he just didn't want us all together, because I'm thinking he knows about the 'power of three siblings combined' rule too."

"Which means Justin's still left with Gorog! We have to save him! And Dad!"

"But how...oh, hello." Alex rolled her eyes, remembering their wands. "Let's get out of here. The gloomy fog is starting to get on my nerves."

They attempted to flash out...only to find that their wands didn't work.

Disappointed, Alex shook her head. "Of course. The angel of darkness isn't stupid enough to trap us _with_ our powers."

"Makes sense."

"Yup."

* * *

><p>Justin gave "Seth" the nastiest glare he could muster, trying not to show how overwhelmed and terrified he actually was. "You're an angel of darkness. You're working for Gorog," he accused. Realizing what was going on, he gave his father a deeply concerned glance. "And you moved in to turn my parents evil." Justin froze, panic tight in his chest. "What did you do with my mom?"<p>

Letting out a resounding evil laugh, Seth raised his hand. A flash of magical light revealed Gorog himself. "So many accusations," he replied. "And you're only off by one. Pretty good, kid."

"Huh, redundant much?" Justin retorted. "Don't you have other angels of darkness to help you out while you played Dexter?"

Gorog narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Not anymore. After your sister defeated me, the good angels stole my best enforcers. And the others drifted out from under my grasp as my power weakened. I mean, why else would I create that thirteenth floor ruse? You think I'm happy with that ragtag bunch of Wizard World misfits?" He shrugged. "Beggars can't be choosers."

Getting distracted, Justin shook his head. "Okay, no more games." He took out his wand and pointed it at the dark angel. "_Tell __me __what __you __did __with __my __mom! __And __my __siblings!_"

"Easy there, sharp shooter. Your mother is fine. Sort of."

Theresa entered on cue and went to next to her husband, a blank expression on her face as if she'd been hypnotized, her movements robotic.

Noting Justin's shocked reaction, Gorog nodded. "Yeah, turning evil is a little rougher on mortals. She'll be a good minion eventually, like your dad over there. True, they don't have powers, but _all_ are welcome in my force of darkness." He then gave Justin a meaningful glance.

"No! I will never..."

He trailed off mid-sentence when Juliet calmly walked in the lair, a bright smile directed his way.

And she was _young_.


	4. Chapter Three

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad people are enjoying this!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

When Harper left the Sub Station, she felt a little weird about going over to Zeke's, even in this emergency situation. He always wanted to hang out at the Russo's loft, so much that she'd only ever _been_ to his place a couple of times. And that was only to briefly stop there for whatever reason.

Instead of going to the subway, she called Zeke on her cell phone. She didn't feel entirely welcome to barge in just yet, and If one of his family members was home, she wouldn't want to show up in her current frazzled state. "Hey..."

"_Hello? Who's this?"_

Harper rolled her eyes. "It's _Harper_. Your _girlfriend_. Don't you have me on your contact list?_"_

"_I don't bother checking the caller ID. Only like five people ever call me."_

"Still..." Harper then dropped the argument since there were more pressing issues. "Look, the Russos are in _big_ Wizard World trouble, but Justin told me to stay out of it. We have to do _something_ to help."

"_But if Justin said..."_

"We _have__to_!" Harper insisted. "Justin, Alex and Max are fighting this really evil angel of darkness. They need...they need back up! That's it! We'll contact the Wizard World!"

"_An angel of darkness? Oh my gosh, angels exist too? Do they have wings? Are there..."_

Harper sighed. "Yes, they have wings. But now's not the time for questions! We have to contact the Wizard World, somehow."

"_How do we do that when we're not wizards?"_

"I don't know. Maybe Alex brought some spell books or notes to our apartment...unlikely, but it's worth looking. Meet me there as soon as you can. Hopefully Gorog left the thirteenth floor intact."

Before Zeke could ask who Gorog was, she ended the call and ran for the subway.

* * *

><p>For a second, Justin didn't know if he was breathing.<p>

All else in his line of vision besides Juliet became a little fuzzy. His heart started pounding so fast he thought for sure a it would kill him before Gorog ever got the chance. And yeah, he was pretty sure he couldn't breathe if he tried.

"Hi Justin," she greeted, acting and sounding exactly like her old self. "I've missed you. You missed me, right?"

Forcing himself steady enough to speak, Justin nodded. "Of course! Juliet, you have no idea how…" He stopped, realizing that he needed to snap himself back to reality, quick. "But you're not Juliet. You're an illusion."

"Don't underestimate me, Justin," Gorog remarked. "I may be weakened, but I still have some impressive power. Finding Juliet and turning her young was no problem. Especially if it means you'll be in my army. A smart young wizard like yourself would be a valuable addition." He paused. "And of course you'll be able to keep your powers. You won't have to deal with any of that 'wizard competition' nonsense."

_Be __logical_, Justin thought, struggling to resist. _Remember __what __happened __last __time._ "But before, you didn't want me in your army. And you lied. You didn't let me be with Rosie when you said we could be together. Why should I believe you now? Even if this is the real Juliet, you could take her away again."

"I could," Gorog admitted. "But things have changed. I'm willing to train you…and teach you to not be such a dork so I can stand you. Then you could help me rule the Wizard World, with Juliet by your side." He sighed at Justin's silenced. "Look, if the 'evil' part is still throwing you off…isn't that worth being reunited with your true love? You won't be able to otherwise, Justin. You say no, she's an old hag again. I'm not Cupid."

His parents had been standing off to the side throughout all this. Well, Theresa was still in her zombie state, seemingly not paying attention. But Jerry stepped forward to add, "And there's us. We'll still be Gorog's minions when he takes over the Wizard World. Join us, and we can be a family again."

"But what about Alex and Max?" Justin argued, almost hoping the mere mention of his siblings' names would return his father to normal. "Don't you care that they'll be left to fend for themselves? Especially when Gorog wants revenge?

Jerry shook his head. "Gorog promised he wouldn't hurt them as long as we did what he said. And they'll join when they find out we have too."

"See Justin?" Gorog interrupted impatiently, recognizing that his prey was caving and becoming eager for its downfall. There was intensity in his eyes while he attempted to portray calm."You'll have your family. You'll have Juliet. You'll have more influence than you ever had, ever _will_ have. Why are you still bothering to resist?"

About to argue some more, he instantly lost his train of thought when Juliet wrapped her arms around his neck. "And what about us, Justin?" she whispered. "We deserve our happily ever after. This is it."

Then she kissed him. Just like she used to, like in the memories that haunted him for so long.

* * *

><p>Minutes felt like hours for someone trapped in a cold, desolate alternate plane of existence. Both Alex and Max had reached the conclusion when they became silent after they were unable to plan a promising escape. So they'd resorted to their wands, checking out features that didn't require spells and shooting off small, useless fireworks into the purple sky. Basically it was the equivalent of playing games on a cell phone to keep busy during class.<p>

"Ugh, I can't make a single call on this stupid thing," Alex complained, furiously dialing random Wizard World numbers. After she went through all of her contacts, she'd started making up numbers, hoping a wizard would pick up and agree to help them. "We must not get service in this dimension."

Distracted by the Light Saber setting on his wand, Max almost didn't hear her. Then she let out another loud, frustrated groan, so he finally replied, "Which dimension do you think this is, anyway?"

Alex shrugged. "One that traps wizards, obviously. What does it matter?"

"Well, I generally like to know where I am," Max answered. "And...maybe if we figure out where we are, we can figure out how to escape."

Surprised by the insight, Alex nodded. "All right then. How do we do that? Dad never really taught us about alternate dimensions, or what to do when you're stuck in one." She sighed. "Don't ever tell him I said this, but...I wish Justin was here. He's probably read a book on this for the competition."

"Yeah, he does read a lot of books."

"That he does."

There was an awkward silence, then Max lowered his eyes as he quietly asked, "Hey, Alex...do you think he's okay?"

Alex hesitated. Her instinct was to reply that of course their brother was fine, he's the smart one, isn't he? But leaving Justin alone to face Gorog, with their presumably evil father...she couldn't begin to imagine her older brother's condition at the moment. "Honestly? I have no idea."

At Max's upset expression, Alex went over and gave him a hug, which he returned. "If he's not, we'll save him," she added as they broke apart. "I promise."

"Thanks, sis. I needed that."


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Harper and Zeke searched through the tiny apartment in about an hour, but did not find any useful information. As they searched, she patiently answered all of his questions about Gorog, dark angels, and the entire situation. "Right, Gorog created this floor so he could recruit the residents for his force of darkness. He wants to use them to take over the Wizard World."

"Okay, I think I'm caught up,"

While he took a minute to process everything, Harper stood up from where she'd been looking through storage bins on the floor, and looked around. "Searching the whole apartment isn't working. We have to think about this."

"Right. So, if I were Alex's books, where would I be..." Zeke chuckled. "That doesn't help. Alex wouldn't bring books."

Laughing in agreement, Harper remarked, "Yeah, trust me, we've barely talked about the wizard competition since we moved out. The only way she'd possibly have any spell books would be if...if..." Harper's eyes widened. "If Justin packed them for her! Hold on!" She ran to the apartment's only closet, rummaged through the bottom, and pulled out a small packing box. They must have dismissed it as Alex's mementos or pictures because "private" was scrawled on the top in her handwriting.

They lugged the box over to the couch, where they opened it to find the expected various pictures and scraps of paper. But a lone wizard training workbook filled out the bottom, a Post-it note stuck to the cover. "Jackpot!" Harper exclaimed. She read the note aloud. "'Yes, haha, I'm a dork, you're so clever. Now _study_!...love, Justin.'"

Zeke frowned. "Wait, why would he do that when he's competing against her?"

"It's Justin. He wants everyone to study," Harper replied with a shrug. She flipped through the book, looking out for any informational pages...then found a folded piece of lined paper. "Must be another note from Justin," she remarked. "Alex has probably never even opened this book."

"What does the note say?"

Harper unfolded the paper and read the title aloud. "'Because I knew you wouldn't bring this information with you either.'" Shaking her head, she commented, "Yup, definitely from Justin."

Glancing at the note over her shoulder, Zeke scanned the neat handwriting, his eyes widening as he did. "Oh my gosh, Harper, that's it! Phone numbers!"

"Well, wand numbers, but yeah," she corrected, pointing out the extensions. "They're for Mr. Russo's younger brother Kelbo and Professor Crumbs. And Professor Crumbs left with Gorog, so our only option is to call Kelbo. He's the family wizard from Mr. Russo's generation."

Zeke sighed with relief. "Thank goodness. He'll be able to help."

"Oh, that's right. You haven't met him."

* * *

><p>Turning evil wasn't that painful. Juliet's return significantly eased the transition.<p>

In addition to reuniting with his true love, Justin liked that he got to remain a wizard this time. Trading his wand for wings before had put him out of his element. But he _knew_ how to be a wizard, and the power boost from Gorog would make him a great one...evil, but great.

So what if Justin wasn't "good"? He'd _been_ good his whole life, worked hard towards his goals. Where did that get him? Demoted back to level one on a technicality. Obeying Council rules, earning excellent grades, studying for the competition...doing the right thing just didn't seem worth it anymore. Here he was, "evil," yet he had Juliet and everything else he'd ever wanted.

Who cared what others thought of his morals? Justin had finally realized that to him, respect and Juliet were more important.

After Gorog won Justin's support, the two began plotting their take over of the Wizard World. Of course Gorog had his own plans, but he hadn't expected Professor Crumbs to cave in, so he needed to redo his attack strategy. To be honest, Justin wasn't convinced the professor had truly joined the dark side and worried it might be some kind of trick. For some reason he kept his doubts to himself.

Besides, he was much too distracted by catching up with Juliet. Fortunately, Gorog also had right-hand security wizard Felix, so occasionally Justin could break away. "I missed you so much, Juliet," he mumbled. The couple had moved to the far side of the lair by the teacher's desk, while Gorog, Felix and Jerry planned in front of the portal. Recovering Theresa had gone into the Sub Station to wait with the other thirteenth floor residents.

"I missed you too," Juliet replied, kissing him...again. Their little breaks were equally devoted to talking and making out. "I thought about you every day. Even though it seemed impossible I knew I would see you again."

Justin nodded. "So did I. Everyone kept telling me to move on. But I never really did."

"I can't wait until Gorog is in power," she remarked, glancing over at their leader. "He'll make sure that you and I are never separated again. That's what he promised, you know. It's why I joined his army."

"I'm sure being young again is nice too," Justin joked, secretly flattered that she had done that for him.

"Hey Romeo! Get over here!"

Giving Juliet an apologetic glance, Justin kissed her again, then went over to the strategy group. "Sorry. What do you need, Master Gorog?"

"Tell me all you know about Wiztech," Gorog demanded. "Professor Crumbs was evasive about the details. I don't trust him yet."

Justin paused, thinking of the summers he attended. "What kind of details, sir?"

"Oh, anything that might be useful. You can write me an essay if you want," Gorog answered, a sarcastic note to his voice.

Brightening at the familiar task, Justin nodded. "I'll get started on that essay now."

"Justin, I meant...well, whatever, might be handy to have that in written form. Get to it."

"Yes, sir!" Justin went to turn away, then hesitated. Something was nagging at his memory thanks to the mention of Wiztech. "Um, Master Gorog? Can I ask you a question?"

Gorog raised an eyebrow. "You can. I may or may not answer."

"About...my brother and sister. You're going to bring them back soon, right? So they can join our evil army? You said you need more members."

Standing up from his chair, Gorog crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "You'll get Alex and Max back when I'm sure I can trust _you_. I know about that 'power of three siblings' deal. If I'm not careful, they could bring you back to their side, then..."

Indignant Justin argued, "Master Gorog, I promise, I would never betray you!"

Gorog held up a silencing hand. "Save it, kid. No matter what you say, you still have to prove yourself. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir."


	6. Chapter Five

A/N: I haven't written the next chapter, and this week is Thanksgiving, so I probably won't be able to update for a little while, probably early December. Don't worry, we're so close to the end here, and the chapters are so short, that I definitely won't abandon it. There's only a couple chapters left.

Thanks for reading, and thanks especially to "My Silver Heart" for reviewing every chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

After leaving a message on Kelbo's wand voicemail nearly an hour ago, Harper and Zeke anxiously waited in the thirteenth floor apartment for some kind of response. They didn't know what else to do. They'd tried calling all three of the Russo siblings to check in, but could only leave messages.

"Hey, Harper? How did Justin, Alex and Max plan to beat Gorog?"

"They were talking about a spell."

"What spell?"

"Something about recruiting help."

"Then why are _we_ trying to contact Kelbo? Wouldn't he already be there?"

"I hope so. But I figured we should tell him ourselves anyway."

"Oh. Well, what are we going to do when we talk to Kelbo?"

"Send him over to help the Russos. Or ask him to contact someone else who can."

Zeke nodded. "Okay, that's good." He glanced at her. "Does Kelbo seem like a weird name to you? It does to me, but then I think Taylor is weird too. I mean, is it for a girl or a guy?"

"For both."

"But how can a name be for a boy _and_ a girl? I'm sorry, but that shouldn't be allowed. It's just gotten way out of hand. They're naming girls Dylan and boys Ashley...pure madness!"

Laughing, Harper patted him on the shoulder. "Calm down, Zeke. Maybe it's just a trend."

"Still..."

They were surprised when Kelbo flashed in, oddly enough wearing a chef's uniform. "Hey...I'm guessing you're Alex's friend Harper?"

"Yeah, Uncle Kelbo, we met when you were here for the retest," Harper reminded him. "This is my boyfriend Zeke, he's Justin's best friend too."

Kelbo shook Zeke's hand. "Nice to meet ya, Zeke."

"Same here. So...why the outfit?"

"The design works for my figure."

Interrupting, Harper reminded them, "Uh, guys? Our friends, your family is in trouble!"

"Right, Gorog, you mentioned him in your message." Kelbo shuddered. "Man, that guy, he's bad news. I missed the Wizard of the Year ceremony, but I did worry he might try something like this when I heard my niece got the better of him."

"Right, so, do you know how to help them? Or another wizard who does?" Harper asked eagerly.

Kelbo paused for a long moment, thinking. "Well, I'd need to know the current situation. I'm a little concerned they haven't contacted me already. Okay, yes, they usually don't. But I figure if they're rounding up wizard supporters to go against Gorog, they'd at least give me a call."

The other two traded confused glances. "So...now what?" Zeke asked.

Holding up his wand, Kelbo replied, "We investigate." Before the teens could protest, they all disappeared from the apartment.

* * *

><p>Seconds later, the trio found themselves outside the Sub Station. "Man!" Zeke exclaimed, dizzy and leaning on the wall to keep from fainting. "I will <em>never<em> get used to that."

"You will eventually. After a while the metal taste isn't even that awful anymore," Harper assured him. She then looked in the window, then was startled to find all of the thirteenth floor residents...and Theresa...standing around, looking like they were just waiting for orders. "Oh my gosh! Look!"

When the guys did, all three stepped away from the window, taking in what they saw. "I guess Gorog isn't defeated yet," Zeke remarked. "All those wizards looked pretty evil to me. Plus that zombie, but it's kind of hard to tell since they eat brains either way."

"Did you guys see Mrs. Russo in there with them?" Harper added, worried. "I think Gorog turned her too. Maybe even Mr. Russo, but I didn't see him."

Kelbo stepped to the side. "Okay, well, you two go in and see what's happening, I'll just sit on this bench and..."

Pulling him back over by his elbow, Harper retorted, "Oh, no you don't. You're the only one with powers. Let's go."

"But wait, _I_ don't have powers..."

"Zeke!"

Reluctantly, all three went into the Sub Station, trying to stay inconspicuous.

And of course, the entire dark force turned to stare at the newcomers.

Slightly panicked, Harper attempted to pretend like she had every right to be there. "Hey, everyone!" she greeted weakly. "Just, uh...stopping in for a sandwich. Yup." The trio then rushed over to where Theresa was standing behind the counter, apparently staring into space, not even noticing that her children's best friends and her brother-in-law had walked in. "Mrs. Russo! What's going on? Where are Alex, Justin and Max?" Harper whispered. Even if Theresa had been turned evil, she still might be willing to talk about her children.

Theresa gave Harper a blank stare, again not understanding the questions. "I...who..."

"Mrs. Russo? What happened to you?"

Rare seriousness in his words, Kelbo answered for her. "Some mortals don't react to evil well. Generally, surrendering to the dark side rewires a wizard or other being's conscience with the angel's magic, but once in a while there's a glitch in the process. Especially for mortals because magic is a foreign substance." He sadly glanced at his sister-in-law. "And some of them never recover."

There was complete silence as the teens reacted to the news. Zeke put a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder. "Come on, Harper. She can't help us."

"No!" Harper protested, shrugging off his hand. They couldn't give up so easily. Theresa had been her second mother since Harper first moved in with the Russos...since before then. "Come on, Mrs. Russo! It's me, Harper!"

Complete silence again. Theresa hadn't even flinched.

"What about your kids, Alex, Justin and Max? You remember them, right?"

Finally, some reaction. The mother's eyes seemed to focus just a little bit. She didn't snap out of it, but she appeared to be thinking, slowly registering that she was having a conversation. "My...my kids..." she whispered, as if she at least knew what the words meant.

"Yes! _You__remember,__right?_ Justin, Alex...little Maxie..." Harper could tell she was making a breakthrough. She just had to keep mentioning the Russo teens over and over until...

"What's going on here?"

Harper, Zeke and even Kelbo jumped when Justin entered from the kitchen, an intense glare on his face that none of them had ever seen before. "Hey bro, what's up?" Zeke squeaked, petrified of his best friend's intimidating appearance. While Justin's clothes were the same, he had the darker facial expression and carried himself differently...he seemed cold, official.

Justin didn't even look at him, instead focusing on scared Harper. _"__What's __going __on __here?__"_ he repeated. "Master Gorog sent me to assess the disturbance and inform him of intruders."

"Uh...uh...we were..." Harper sputtered, not knowing how to respond in a way that wouldn't get them in further trouble. "Uh, here to join the dark side!" While Kelbo and Zeke gave her bewildered glances, she continued, "Yeah! I figure since you...and Alex and Max...joined, we might as well too. I mean, there's no hope for good in that case, right?"

The flattery worked, and Justin relaxed slightly. "That _would_ be true, but Gorog has sent Alex and Max away to an another dimension for now. He doesn't trust me yet so he fears I will help them destroy him. Which I won't, so I wish he would bring them back now. They'd be perfect minions."

_Wow,__he__ is __seriously __messed__ up_, Harper thought in amazement. "Yeah..." Thinking their next step should be for Kelbo to use his magic to track down the missing Russo siblings, she decided to make a quick exit. "Well, bye!"

She then gave Kelbo and Zeke a "let's get the heck out of here" signal, so all three bolted toward the door. They heard Justin realize he'd been duped, then scream for Gorog.

"Kelbo, get us back to the apartment! _Quick!_" Harper shrieked.

Within seconds all three vanished from Waverly Place.

* * *

><p>They arrived back at the girls' apartment and got to work tracking down their kidnapped friends. "Okay, Uncle Kelbo, there has to be a spell you could use," Harper said. "If we find Alex and Max, they can figure out a way to beat Gorog. Or at least get Justin back from the dark side."<p>

"Wow," Kelbo said, sitting on the couch as he took in the day's events. "You know, you hear about evil a lot in the Wizard World. It's the ultimate betrayal. Never thought it would happen to my family."

Shaken from the experience, Zeke sat down as well. "I've never seen Justin like that. Ever. He was so...intense, you know? The way he glared at Harper, not acknowledging me at all...I'm not even sure that was really him."

"It wasn't. 'Evil' is like...a spell you're under," Kelbo explained. "Can only be broken by loved ones, family. And sometimes even that doesn't work if the wizard is too far gone."

Harper frowned, talk about _evil_ and _darkness_ just making her more upset. "Yes, we get it, this is all very _bad_. Uncle Kelbo, please, just use your magic and get Alex and Max back!" Tears had started to form in her eyes mid-way through her outburst.

"Well, give me a minute!" Kelbo replied. "I'm not good at stuff like this!"

"_Stuff like this?"_

"Yeah, you know...acting all, hero-y."

Trading exasperated glances, Harper and Zeke waited not-so-patiently while Kelbo did his best to remember a spell that would save his nice and nephew.

* * *

><p>"Murrieta Animata!"<p>

"Nope."

"Edgebono Utoosis!"

"Nope."

Alex glared at her useless wand. Sick of waiting around, she'd started casting any spells she could think of with the hope that one might actually work. If the anti-magic shield, or whatever it was, on this place only blocked transportation spells, then maybe they could find another spell to get them out of this mess. But so far she wasn't having any luck. "You don't need to say 'nope' every time I try one, Max," she snapped, frustrated. "I can see for myself."

"Just being helpful."

About to retort, Alex paused when there was a bright, explosive burst of light. In the moment that she and Max averted their eyes, she wondered with dread if Gorog had appeared, if he'd sent a spell to destroy them, or...

"Hiya favorite niece, and one of my favorite nephews!"

"_Uncle Kelbo?"_


	7. Chapter Six

A/N: A little later than planned, but I'm back! There's just this and the next chapter, possibly an epilogue. Thanks for reading!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

Relieved Alex hugged her uncle, amazed that someone managed to find her and Max. "What are you doing here?" she exclaimed. "_How_ did you..."

"Your friends called me up, Harper and...Zack?"

"Zeke."

"Yeah, it was some weird name like that," Kelbo remarked. "Been meaning to ask – you know you're not supposed to tell mortals about magic, right?"

Max raised an eyebrow. "We're not?" Off Alex's bewildered look, he explained, "Well, you and Justin told all your friends, I thought maybe the rule changed. Kind of bummed about that, I was going to tell my girlfriend Talia when I got home."

Annoyed Alex shook her head. "Harper's practically family, okay? And she'll make sure Zeke doesn't tell anyone."

"Good enough for me," Kelbo replied. "Let's go!"

"How? Alex and I have been trying spells since we got here. In fact, you're probably trapped here with us," Max realized.

"Well, clearly as a full wizard, Uncle Kelbo knows how to get us home." Alex paused. "Right?"

"Of course! I'm not _stupid_," Kelbo answered, insulted. "I did think to find you guys with my wand GPS. Since I visit other dimensions all the time, and have full wizard powers, I can cast the spell to bust you guys out of this place." When his niece and nephew sighed with relief, he held out his wand and chanted, "_A__ddo Nos Domus_!"

Minutes later Kelbo arrived back at the apartment, Alex and Max in tow. Harper ran over to hug her best friend. "Thank goodness you're okay!" Noticing Max's lonely expression, she sighed. "Nice to see you too."

"Aw thanks Harper, I always knew you cared!" he exclaimed, hugging quickly before she broke away. Looking around, Max asked, "_So_...where's Justin?"

"Yeah, where is he?" Alex asked.

The other three traded nervous, sympathetic glances, unable to break the news of Justin's betrayal. Finally Harper let out a deep breath. "I'm so sorry," she replied quietly. "Justin...they got him. He joined the dark side."

There was silence as the hurt siblings quietly reacted. Trying to stay strong, Max managed to ask, "What...what about Mom and Dad? How are they?"

Harper didn't reply that time. Zeke and Kelbo lowered their eyes.

"_What happened?_" Alex demanded, starting to panic. "_Are they okay?_"

Again, Harper was the one to answer the tough question. "We don't know," she confessed, while Alex gasped and Max looked like he might cry. "When we went over there, we didn't see your dad. And your mom..." Harper paused, getting emotional herself. "She's...she's not doing well. I think I was getting through to her before Justin caught us, though."

"_Getting through to her?_ What does that even mean?" Max exclaimed hysterically, not understanding the situation at all. "_What's going on?_"

Forcing herself to be calm, Alex put a steadying hand on her brother's shoulder. "Sh, Maxie, it's all right. We'll save them." She then took out her wand. "Let's go." She glanced at the mortals. "You two stay here. In case we need anything."

At first Harper wanted to protest, but Zeke shook his head and wrapped her in a tight hug. Both realized that Alex was really warning them to stay out of harm's way. "We will, Alex," Zeke assured her. "Good luck."

"Good luck," Harper repeated, tearfully watching as her friends and their uncle disappeared.

* * *

><p>Standing outside the Sub Station, the three wizards glanced in the windows to spy on the enemy. "There's no way we'll be able to confront Justin when all of Gorog's new minions are right there," Alex remarked, thinking of a plan. "We need to get them out of the way somehow." She looked towards her uncle. "Got any ideas?"<p>

"Now why would you look at me?" Kelbo teased.

Alex smirked. "Because I know you have a Chaos Creator wand app."

"Yup, best dollar-twenty-nine I ever spent," Kelbo agreed as he started pressing invisible buttons on his wand. Some funny _beeps_ later, a holographic "Create Chaos" sign appeared. "Give me five minutes."

The siblings waited after their uncle rushed into the restaurant. A series of odd sounds erupted from the Sub Station, a variety of horns, bells, whistles and scary animal noises...every single one at an ear-splitting volume. After hearing the commotion of everyone stampeding up to the Russo's loft, Alex and Max laughed despite the dangerous situation.

Seconds later, Kelbo opened the front door for them. "All clear."

Alex, Max and Kelbo ran back into the Sub Station, only to find Justin standing there with his arms crossed, glaring at them. "Gorog sent me to neutralize the disturbance." Much to their horror, he took out his wand and pointed it straight at Kelbo. "Leave. _Now_. Or I will neutralize _you_."

Though frightened, Kelbo attempted bravery. "Justin, it's your uncle Kelbo! We're family, remember?"

Alex frowned, understanding that Kelbo wouldn't be able to help them further. This battle was between the youngest Russo siblings and the dark side. Anyone else who tried to interfere would just end up hurt. "Go, Uncle Kelbo," she insisted. "This isn't your fight." At Kelbo's doubtful expression, she added, "We can handle this."

"If you say so," he replied. He stared at Justin, then at the other two, as if in disbelief that his younger family members were involved with such a serious battle. "Good luck."

Then he vanished.

The trio stared each other down for a long moment, then Justin spoke. "Gorog will not be pleased that you have escaped. Unless you are here to join us."

"What _happened_ to you?" Max exclaimed, stunned by his older brother's cold mannerisms. "You need to be on our side, remember? You were against Gorog too."

"I was," Justin confessed. "But then I saw how much better off I would be as a leader of his army."

Amazed, Alex shook her head. "_What?_ That's insane! You honestly think you'd have a better life if you were Gorog's slave? If you were evil and caused others pain? The only way this makes sense is... " She paused, her eyes widening in realization. "He brought Juliet back, didn't he?"

Justin nodded. "He did. Join us, and he'll give you whatever you wish as well. You will be happy."

"At what cost?" Alex challenged. "Justin, we don't need him to be happy. _You_ don't need him to be happy. Now that Juliet's back we can destroy Gorog and..."

"It's not just about her!" Justin interrupted angrily. "I'll have _power_! This means I won't have to deal with the wizard competition. And I'll lead hundreds of minions who will _respect_ me. You cannot promise me that."

Alex and Max traded shocked glances, not sure how to respond. "He's lying!" Max sputtered. "There's no way Gorog can keep those promises."

"Really? Are you sure about that?"

* * *

><p>The trio looked up to see Gorog...with the Russo parents standing behind him. "Master Gorog!" Justin sputtered. "I was trying to bring them over to our side!"<p>

"I know, Justin." Gorog then turned to Alex and Max, who were frightened but desperately trying to seem brave. "So, you two escaped, huh? I'm impressed."

"Actually our unc...ow! Alex, what'd you hit me for?"

While Max rubbed the side of his stomach, which his sister had dug her elbow into, Alex defiantly glared at Gorog. "Yeah, that's right, we're stronger than you think. We can beat you even without Justin's help."

"Um, I'm not so sure we..._ow_!"

Gorog chuckled. "I hope you're right, Alex. Because Justin is _my_ servant now. And so are your parents, in case you hadn't noticed."

"Mom, Dad?" Alex called to her parents, hoping to bring them back from evil's trance. But her father purposely didn't make eye contact. And Theresa appeared to be out of it, holding on to her husband for support while she blankly looked around, wide-eyed. "Oh my gosh," she whispered, holding back tears.

Equally upset, Max stared at his parents in disbelief. "Mom, Dad? It's me and Alex! Don't you want to help us? To protect us?"

"There's no use fighting this, Max," Jerry replied. "If you and Alex don't join, we'll be separated forever. Justin, your mother and I are now part of Gorog's army, and you won't be able to beat him. Please, join us so we can all be together."

Max paused, amazed that he was hearing this from his father. He glanced at Alex. "Maybe Dad's right, Alex. We can't win without Justin anyway."

"No, Max!" Alex exclaimed. "That's not Dad. That's Evil Dad. Don't listen to him! Come on, let's go!" She held out her want and got into battle position.

Surprised Gorog stared at her. "But don't you want to know about my plan? I'd hate to destroy you before getting to brag about how evil I am. For starters, I had you three cast that spell to lower the portal's defense, so I could pass through without Wizard Council guard spells weakening my power..."

"You know what, I'm good," Alex interrupted, holding up her wand again. "Can we get this over with?"

When Gorog raised his hand to unleash a magical attack, Justin interrupted, "Wait!" His siblings looked up hopefully. But instead Justin took out his wand as well. "Let me help you, Master."

Shocked Alex and Max were thrown off long enough for Gorog to shoot a golden beam of power their way. The two youngest Russo siblings were knocked off their feet so they sailed clear across the room. Alex landed unconscious near the row of booths, Max right beside her. Neither moved, and both had scars where the laser hit their stomachs.

"_No!_" Theresa screeched. It was a sickening cry that made her son and husband wince. Snapped out of her trance, she rushed to her children's sides, sobbing uncontrollably. Slowly she got up and turned her fury on Gorog. "_You_. My kids were supposed to be safe. You lying, evil, son of a - "

And Gorog sent another beam of light towards her. Theresa fell near her children, also unmoving.

Frozen Justin and Jerry could only stare. Finally, Gorog asked, "Would you like to join _them_?" When the two Russos weakly shook their heads, Gorog nodded. "Good. Now, I'm not _completely_ devoid of sentiment. I will allow you...oh, five minutes to grieve? Then meet me in the lair." He began to leave, then added, "Oh, and if you don't, I will destroy you both as well."


	8. Chapter Seven

A/N: This is the last chapter before the epilogue! Thanks for reviewing everyone!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

As Gorog went into the lair, devastated Jerry knelt by his wife and looked for a pulse. "She's still alive!" he exclaimed in amazement, hugging Theresa's limp form. "Barely, but she is! Justin, help me check on your brother and sister." After carefully lying his wife back down, Jerry ran over to his children...then paused when he realized that Justin hadn't moved. "Come on! What's the matter with you?" His eyes widening, Jerry whispered, "...oh my God...you...oh, my God..."

"Dad! I'm sorry, but - "

"You're...you're still with Gorog. After what he did, you're still on his side! I thought I raised you better than this!" Jerry gave his son the harshest glare he'd ever directed towards any of his children, then knelt down next to his family. "Just go. Do us one last favor and keep Gorog busy. You can do that without telling your new 'master' that the 'enemy' might have survived, right?"

About to turn away, wand in his hand from the attack, Justin made the mistake of hesitating. Seeing Alex, Max and his mother close to death...how _could_ he simply leave them there? Childhood memories were flooding to the forefront of his mind and he couldn't stop them. Maybe they were dysfunctional, but they were his family and they'd cared about him. Even though evil's influence forced him to struggle with remembering good emotions, Justin knew that he had cared about them too. More than he...

More than he loved Juliet. Suddenly horrified at his actions, Justin dropped the wand and let it fall.

"Dad!" Tears were streaming down Justin's face as he knelt to the ground. "What have I-I...I...I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I...I..."

Jerry put an arm around Justin's shoulders. "It's okay. What matters is you're back with us. Now help me check on..."

"Dad?"

One of the bodies had spoken. Aching and holding his head, Max managed to pull himself up to a sitting position. "Justin? It's over right, we won?"

"Maxie!" Jerry exclaimed, hugging his youngest son. "How are you feeling, good?"

Max frowned. "When the room stops spinning I'll tell you."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Jerry replied, "Yeah, you're good for now." Then, he immediately became serious again as he looked at his daughter. "Justin, you check. I...I can't."

"Okay, hold on...oh! She's breathing!" Justin exclaimed, kneeling by his sister. He weakly cracked a smile. "In fact I wonder if she's just taking a nap and doesn't want to wake up yet."

"That's terrible," Jerry replied, but he smiled as well.

Clutching his stomach in pain, Max was too concerned about his family to bring attention to his own injuries. "Alright, so...what's next? Take them to a wizard hospital?"

"Well, we have to get out of here at least," Justin reminded them. "Gorog's expecting us back in the lair, and our five minutes is probably almost up. Oh!" He sprinted over to where his wand had landed. "Can't forget this. And Max, yours is over there..."

They all paused when a familiar voice spoke up from behind them. And it wasn't Gorog's. "A trip to the hospital won't be necessary," Professor Crumbs said, entering from the loft stairs. "You don't have time for that. Gorog needs to be stopped." He then glanced at Justin. "Oh, welcome back."

"How did you even..." Justin sighed, figuring he was better off not knowing how the old professor seemed to be aware of absolutely everything at all times. "Well, thanks. And what about you? I thought Gorog turned you evil with the others."

Professor Crumbs shook his head. "Of course not. I've been around for over a thousand years. This isn't the first time I've had to fight off evil."

As the Russo men thought about that, Jerry knelt down again next to his daughter. "Professor Crumbs? How do we heal them? I remember something about this from my studies, but I've never got to use it before I gave up my powers."

"I thought wizards couldn't do that," Max remarked, amazed.

"Normally it is against the eleven wizard laws, because a _full_ wizard's powers are almost drained simply to heal _one_ serious wound or illness," Professor Crumbs explained. "Daring wizards-in-training who attempted this ended up in the hospital themselves. But, it's not common knowledge that each and every wizard, no matter the skill level, is allowed to heal another once without severely damaging his or her own power. This typically occurs under very special circumstances. Like now."

"I'll do it!" Justin sputtered before his brother could even respond. "Tell me what to do! Whatever it is I'll do it." Secretly he hoped to make up for his betrayal, but nothing would ever be enough.

"I'm cool with that. Probably couldn't cast that spell right now if I tried anyway," Max added. He'd went to sit on a nearby chair, taking deep breaths with his hands on his knees. Sympathetic Crumbs sent a burst of magic towards Max, who glowed a soft green, then realized he was fully recovered. "Wow, thanks! You used your one spell on me?"

"Actually I used mine centuries ago, but certain emergency spells can be learned by an old wizard such as myself," Professor Crumbs replied. "Your injury wasn't life-threatening so not as much magic was required." He then returned to their task. "Now Justin, I believe one spell will heal your sister and mother, so Max can save his for a future point in time. Are you ready?"

Determined Justin held his wand over the unconscious Russo women. "Yes. What do I say?"

"Nothing. Close your eyes, and focus."

As Justin followed instructions, he quickly realized this would most likely be the most important spell he'd ever cast in his life.

* * *

><p>Recovering Alex and Theresa sat at a table, almost back to normal after their near-death experience, even though they both needed actual rest in the worst way. Despite her fatigue, Alex quickly began asking questions about what had happened while the two were out cold. "So Justin's back from the dark side, obviously," she remarked, raising an eyebrow at her older brother. "If Gorog's attack on your own family didn't knock some sense back into you...well, that's just <em>wrong<em>."

"I know, right?" Justin muttered, not quite making eye contact with her.

Deciding she could grill him for a deeper explanation later, Alex turned to her parents. Only the Russos remained in the Sub Station since Professor Crumbs went back upstairs, so Gorog wouldn't get suspicious of his absence. "But wait...why was Mom hit too? Max and I were the ones who made him angry." She paused when her father smiled proudly. "...what happened?"

"Your mother cursed him out!" Jerry exclaimed, causing his two youngest children to laugh hysterically...and Theresa to blush. "I've never seen her so mad! She was ready to kill him!"

Justin nodded in agreement. "I wasn't in my right frame of mind at that point to realize it, but it's true! All the times she's been mad at us are _nothing_ compared to what Dad and I saw."

"Stop it, all of you! We shouldn't be laughing..." Finally Theresa smiled at their praise. "But I _was_ pretty awesome."

Anxiously looking around, Max asked, "Hey...where _is_ Gorog? You'd think he'd be in here trying to attack again, especially with all the noise we're making. I mean, it might make him suspicious since last he checked...he defeated us."

"Maybe Professor Crumbs is distracting him to give us more time," Justin reasoned.

Carefully standing up from her chair, Alex refocused on the battle at hand and took out her wand. "Then let's do that. Mom, Dad...Justin and I will send you to my apartment. You'll be safe there." At her parents' incredulous glances, she pleaded, "We can take care of the rest. I promise." They were still reluctant, so Alex gave each of them a tight hug. "Thank you for understanding."

"Okay, fine," Jerry said reluctantly. "But we're not going to the apartment. We'll go downstairs to Harper's room so we can be close by...if you need anything." He paused for a long moment, staring at his children like he wouldn't be able to see them again in the near future. "I love you all. So much."

About to cry, Theresa quickly hugged each one of them as she whispered "te quiero" in their ears. Emotional Jerry guided her out the front door.

"Overdramatic much?" Alex quipped after the Russo parents left, trying to be funny while fighting back tears herself. "We'll see them later. Now that the three of us are together, Gorog doesn't stand a chance. Let's go kick some dark angel butt!"

Ready to fight, Alex, Justin and Max rushed into the lair, wands at the ready...

Only to realize that Gorog wasn't even there. No one was in the magical room except for Juliet and Felix, who were just chatting as they waited for their leader to return. Both glanced up with curiosity at the siblings' entrance. "Justin?" nervous Juliet asked, walking over to him. "What are Alex and Max doing here? They didn't...you didn't..."

"I...uh..." Justin sputtered, his eyes flickering towards his siblings for help. They shrugged, so he tried to think of a plan. "I got them to join us! Yeah! They escaped, but I convinced them that they'd be better off in Gorog's army, like we are."

"Wait, what? I – _ow_!" Max groaned when Alex elbowed him yet again, but he got the idea and kept his mouth shut.

Alex grinned. "Yup, we're Master Gorog's minions now! So uh...where is he?"

"Upstairs with everyone else, bragging about how he destroyed you two," Felix answered, pointing at Alex and Max. "He might not be happy to find out you weren't as destroyed as he thought. Even if you did join our side."

"He might at first, but he'll be happy to have us all in his army," Justin answered.

Since her older brother normally buckled under pressure, Alex gave him credit for going along with the cover so well. "Yeah. He won't know how he got along without us."

"Good," Juliet replied, wrapping her arms around Justin. "Because when you first walked in with them, I started to panic because...if you're not a minion anymore, we can't be together. Remember? That was part of the deal."

His face paling slightly, Justin nodded. "Uh huh, I remember."

Alex and Max exchanged worried glances, not able to verbally express their concern that Justin might be tempted again. They were reassured a little bit when their brother consciously took a big step back from Juliet's reach. "So, uh..." Max began, looking over at the maps and books spread all over the coffee table. "What are those for?"

"Strategy," Felix answered. "Our goal is to overtake Wiztech and use that as a base. We're backing up plans with new information from the Russo's textbooks."

"We have textbooks?" Alex asked. Max also showed confusion.

Justin raised an eyebrow. "And at one point you were both ahead of me in our family's competition." Glancing at Juliet and Felix, he added, "Stuff like _that_ is why I won't mind opposing the Council."

"Yeah, the Council is stupid," Felix agreed. "They thought I was a delinquent who wouldn't amount to anything." He then showed off his all-powerful Renaldi wand. "Boy were _they_ wrong. I can't wait to be in charge of _them_. Well, with Gorog's approval of course."

An awkward silence followed, then Alex turned back towards the doorway. "I hear Gorog. Let's go...uh, tell him the good news."

"Okay, just...give me a minute," Justin replied. He indicated that he wanted to say good-bye to Juliet, so Alex and Max stepped to the side to give the two privacy. "Juliet... I just want you to know that..." Of course he wanted to go on for hours proclaiming his love, but he had to keep it simple, or else she would catch on. "You're my soulmate. I...I love you."

Though bewildered, Juliet didn't ask questions and kissed him. "I love you too. Always."

"Let's go, Justin." Alex knew she sounded harsh, but her brother's heartbreak would make him weak, and they needed to be strong when they went up against Gorog. Justin kissed Juliet one last time, then followed his siblings out of the lair.

* * *

><p>Alone in the Sub Station, Justin impatiently waited for Gorog. Alex had heard the dark angel cheering from all the way upstairs, so as it turned out, he hadn't emerge from the loft just yet. That gave the Russo siblings time to plan a surprise ambush. At the moment, Alex and Max were hiding behind him in the kitchen.<p>

Part of him actually wanted Gorog to show up so they could get the battle over with. Standing there, looking at the stairs, gave Justin the opportunity to think about his actions.

_Why am I so weak?_

The mystery had been haunting him in the few hours since he became good again. This made the _second_ time Gorog managed to turn him evil. _What was that saying? __Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice..._ Justin thought, overwhelmed with guilt and self-hatred. Maybe he actually was evil, and had just been passing for good all these years. How else could someone with his supposed intelligence tricked so many times? His secretly troubled conscience could also be why he fell for that alien story during the test. True, that hadn't been his brightest moment, but he'd wanted the adulation for saving human kind. What kind of _good_ person exposed wizardry just to be seen as a hero?

Glancing back at the closed kitchen doors, Justin wished his siblings were there next to him for moral support. They were going to destroy Gorog together with a spell from Professor Crumbs, but in order to catch the dark angel off-guard they planned for Alex and Max to surprise him. This meant Justin would be left alone to lull Gorog into false sense of security.

_Remember what Gorog did to your family. Don't believe a word he says. He probably wouldn't have even let you stay with Juliet the moment it was inconvenient for him._

_...wait, what? Attacking your family isn't enough? You have to make excuses about Juliet too? _

_Be strong_, Justin thought. _Hate yourself later. You need to be strong right now._

Right as he started to worry that Gorog wasn't upstairs and maybe went out somewhere, the dark angel walked down stairs, mild surprise in his expression. "Justin, you're still here? Where's the rest of your family?" He narrowed his eyes. "You're not plotting a surprise attack, are you? Your siblings aren't hiding until you give them a signal?"

Nervous Justin swallowed a big lump in his throat before answering, "No, Master Gorog. I sent them away so we could move forward with our plans to take over the Wizard World."

"Well, you proved yourself to be a loyal minion after all. I'm proud of you." Gorog briefly patted Justin on the back, making the wizard wince. "I have to say, this is a little shocking. Not many would be able to desert their loved ones like you did. Maybe there's some true evil in you after all."

"Exactly what I was thinking," Justin muttered.

Looking around at the Sub Station, Gorog remarked, "You know, this would be a great home base in the mortal world. We've got the lair, and now that its inhabitants are gone, I can take it over easily. Maybe I can put my throne where that old subway car is." He glanced at Justin. "What _is_ with this odd subway theme, anyway? Not very appealing."

"I wouldn't start redecorating just yet."

Gorog raised an eyebrow at the sound of Alex's disembodied voice. Then she and Max flashed in on either side of Justin, wands pointed at the dark angel.

"Now, this makes more sense," Gorog commented, undisturbed. He turned to Justin, who'd also taken out his wand. "What a disappointment you are. To think, I was going to make you leader of my vast army. You could rule the entire Wizard World with Juliet by your side. But, I guess that's not a possibility since you've betrayed me. Don't you remember our bargain, Justin? If you destroy me, Juliet returns to her former condition. Think about what you are giving up."

Justin caught the anxious stares of his siblings, as if they expected him to cave again. The pure shame he felt as a result helped him remember saying good-bye to Juliet, and accepting that their love could not prevail. He gave the dark angel a cold glare. "My family is more important."

Before Gorog could react, the three wizard siblings brought their wands together and chanted:

"_Hear these three Russos cry,_

_begone Gorog, vaporize!"_

A bright ball of fiery magic formed from the combined wands. "What?" Gorog sputtered. "No! The Russos cannot win! This isn't possible, I - "

Then he was hit by the Russos' power...and finally destroyed.


	9. Epilogue

A/N: In memory of Ian Abercrombie, who passed away recently. RIP "Professor Crumbs."

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

"Juliet!"

"Mason!"

Almost as soon as Gorog was gone, the two older Russo siblings ran to find their respective partners. Alex didn't have to go far, since the thirteenth floor tenants began to stumble downstairs in a confused daze. Mason was one of the first to arrive, and got ambushed by his overjoyed girlfriend. "Alex! What happened? You defeated Gorog?"

"Did you think I wouldn't?" Alex remarked with a sly grin.

"Thank you for saving me. All of us," Mason said, kissing her. "You're a hero."

Delighted Alex replied, "That _is_ my title these days. I like it!"

Meanwhile, Justin went into the lair, then emerged soon after...holding hands with young Juliet. Everyone clapped at the vampire's permanent return. Justin smiled a genuine, happy smile for the first time in months. "Gorog must have lied again," he explained, putting his arm around his girlfriend.

"Yeah, I guess once Gorog was destroyed, I was freed too," Juliet added.

Trailing behind them, Felix remarked, "Yeah, I _never _want to be evil again. So gross. Anyone else feel like they need a really long shower?" The others all nodded.

Standing off to the side, Max abruptly remembered something. "Oh! Mom and Dad!"

Alex laughed. "Yeah, I guess someone should clue them in. Go ahead Max."

Within minutes Max had sprinted down to the basement and brought up the Russo parents. They were followed by Harper and Zeke. Hugs were given all around as the thirteenth floor residents left to rejoin their own families. "We called Harper and Zeke to tell them to get out of the apartment," Jerry said in response to his kids' questions. "Magical floors disappear once their creator can't maintain them."

Harper nodded. "Yeah I grabbed all our stuff, Alex. Although we do need to buy new beds."

"Who cares?" Alex exclaimed, hugging her best friend. "We're all okay. That's what matters."

* * *

><p>That night Justin sat on his teacher's desk in the lair, absentmindedly holding his wand. Everyone had <em>wanted<em> to celebrate with a victory dinner and night out. But that was before they all realized just how _exhausted_ they were. Promising to celebrate another night, everyone went to bed super early after Zeke, Mason and Juliet went home. Left alone, Justin knew he wouldn't be able to sleep, and the lair would be a great place to hide out for a while.

Part of him wished Juliet was there to distract him from troubling thoughts. But, understandably, Juliet had to track her parents down and would be gone for a little while. The Van Heusen parents had been taking care of her in old age, but were undoubtedly worried about her when she agreed to the dark angel's proposal. It was still hard for Justin to believe that he and Juliet could finally be happy after they had been through so much.

Still, Justin couldn't fully appreciate his family's victory. Not when he thought about everything he'd done. And the question of his morality still remained.

"Do I really deserve this?" he whispered quietly, looking at his wand. "What kind of wizard turns evil so easily? _Twice_?"

"One who's had a rough few years. And needs to give himself a break."

Startled and humiliated, Justin glared at his sister. "I wasn't talking to you."

"Yeah, because muttering crazy stuff to yourself makes you look much better," Alex retorted, sitting on top of the student desk in front of him. Becoming serious, she gave him a concerned glance. "Justin...what's this about? We won! Why are you so upset?"

Justin lowered his eyes. He didn't want to spill his guts to his sister, who would probably use them against him. But it might be nice to have someone else's opinion. "Alex...do you think I'm evil?"

"_What?_ Justin, you were under Gorog's influence, it doesn't count!"

"Doesn't it?" Justin retorted. "It's one thing to do what Gorog tells you because of his control. Alex, what I thought, what I felt...it wasn't the same as everyone else. It was..._more_. All I could think of was how much I deserved this new power since the Council treated me so unfairly. And then when Gorog attacked my family...I...I..."

Surprised Alex raised an eyebrow. "You what, Justin?"

"I didn't snap out of it right away," Justin answered with disgust. "It didn't register until seconds later...until I convinced myself that you all were more important than Juliet."

Alex didn't reply for a long moment, her eyes also lowered, staring at the floor. "Justin...it's okay." At his incredulous stare, she explained, "Look, we're all a little messed up, aren't we? And I don't really blame you for being angry with the Council. I am too after that joke of a test they pulled on us. But we can't really do anything about it, can we?"

"No, we can't," relieved Justin answered. "But what about..."

Alex shook her head. "Don't think about it too hard. Gorog really did a number on you, bringing Juliet back like that. What you and Juliet have...it's special. I can see why you wouldn't want to give her up, no matter what the cost."

Speechless Justin had no idea how to reply to his sister's unusually kindhearted acceptance. Finally, he sat on the desk next to Alex and hugged her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She hugged back and they broke apart, both lost for words. Then Alex grinned. "Hey, wanna steal the big containers of ice cream out of the freezer while Dad's sleeping? That always makes _me_ feel a lot better."

"Sounds good, let's do it."


End file.
